Sharing in the Life of Christ: A Study of Romans 8:1-17

Paul’s letter to the Romans can be divided into three major
parts: a presentation of the gospel (chapters 1-8), the place of Israel in
God’s plan (chapters 9-11) and exhortations for Christian living (chapters
12-15). Chapter 8 comes near the end of Paul’s explanation of the gospel. It is
the climax, and the truths that Paul discusses are astounding.

No condemnation!

The chapter begins with an astonishing statement: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for
those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the
Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death” (verses
1-2).

Because of what Christ has done, believers are not counted
guilty and will not be punished on the day of judgment. We sin, but there is no
condemnation. (If we didn’t sin, the question of condemnation wouldn’t even
come up.) Paul knows that we sin, so he is saying, there is no eternal
punishment for Christians even though they sin.

Hard to believe? Yes, because we know that sin deserves to
be punished. Paul agrees, but the gospel announces that Christ has taken our sins,
and the consequences, on himself. He has punished sin itself. He has
experienced the consequences of sin, and escaped, so that we can also escape. On
behalf of all humanity, Christ has experienced the results of our sins, so
there is no further condemnation waiting for us. If we trust him, if our lives
are in him, we do not need to be afraid. Sin has physical penalties in this
life, but for those who are in Christ, it has no ultimate penalty for us.

Why? Because Jesus has set us free from the law of sin and
death, set us free from the only law that could possibly condemn us. The law
that says, “Those who sin shall die,” no longer applies to us, because it has
been taken care of — completely. We died with Christ, and it is no longer we
who sin, but it’s the sinful nature inside of us that does it (7:17). It will
die, and we who are in Christ will live eternally.

God does not want us to sin, but even if we sin, we will not
be condemned because of what Jesus has done for us. The law could not give us
eternal life, but God could, and he did it through the death of Christ. “For what the law was powerless to do [that
is, to give life] because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his
own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he
condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3).

Jesus did not come to condemn sinners — he came to condemn
sin. He came to take away its power to control us and kill us. He came to give
us life, and to do it in such a way that “the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us” (verse
4). In his life and in his death, Jesus satisfied all the requirements of the
law, both its commands and its penalties. It cannot demand anything more.

Life in the Spirit

Paul then tells us that Christians “do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (verse
4). We do not set our minds on what the flesh wants, “but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on
what the Spirit desires” (verse 5). We are not perfect, but as we are
led by the Spirit, we think and do the things of God.

Before we came to believe, our minds were headed for death.
The unconverted mind “is hostile to
God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.” It is
rebellious and disobedient. Paul concludes, “Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God” (verses
6-8).

But now, we “are not
in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ,
they do not belong to Christ” (verse 9). The Holy Spirit lives in and
guides everyone who belongs to Christ, and “the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace” (verse 6). If
we don’t even want to live right, we
do not belong to Christ (in the sense that Paul is using it here; everything
belongs to Christ in another sense).

Our old bodies are dead because of sin, and they received
their wages on the cross (6:2-6). In Christ, though, we have new life — “If Christ is in you, then even though your
body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of
righteousness” (8:10). Because Christ is righteous, and we are in him,
the Spirit gives us life.

“And if the Spirit
of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ
from the dead [i.e., the Father] will also give life to your mortal bodies
because of his Spirit, who lives in you” (verse 11). God will also raise
us, if his Spirit is living in us, leading us, motivating us. Our bodies will
be raised like his — immortal, incorruptible and glorious. The Holy Spirit plays
an essential role in our salvation.

Our obligation

“Therefore, brothers
and sisters, we have an obligation,” Paul says (verse 12). It is not to
live according to the flesh, for if we do that, we will die (verse 13). Paul
does not directly say what our obligation is, but his contrast implies that we
are obligated to live according to the Spirit of God. There is no ultimate
penalty for failures, Paul says in verse 1, but the obligation still remains: “if by the Spirit you put to death the
misdeeds of the body, you will live” (verse 13). We are called to serve
the Spirit, not the flesh. We are commanded to serve God, not self. We are
commanded to resist sin, to put misdeeds to death.

The old person is condemned; the new person is not.
Therefore, we want to spend as much of life as we can in the new. Whatever we
do according to the sinful flesh will die, but whatever we do in obedience to
God will be of eternal value. The more we reject sin and the more we obey God,
the more we are really alive. “For
those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God” (verse
14). If we are in Christ, we are guided by the Spirit into a life that pleases
God. Our obedience is led by the Spirit; we cannot take credit for it. Paul
says that the life he has now is Christ in him (Galatians 2:20); Paul cannot
take credit for the work that Christ does in him (Romans 15:18).

Perhaps you know of someone who'd like to hear about this article. If so, go to the bottom of the page and click on "Email this page." Fill out the form, and share the good news! There's also a way to share the page on Facebook, Twitter, and other websites.

This article was written by Michael Morrison in 2004 and updated in 2014. Copyright Grace Communion International. All rights reserved.

The Spirit does not enslave us or frighten us with threats
of condemnation, but gives us a secure membership in God’s family: “So you have not received a spirit that makes
you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as
his own children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’For his
Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children” (verses
15-16, New Living Translation).

Since God’s Spirit lives in us, we can confidently call God
our Father — and this has important implications. “If we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with
Christ…” (verse 17). This means an assurance of salvation and an
assurance of glory — but it also means that we suffer, as Jesus did. “…if indeed we share in his sufferings in
order that we may also share in his glory.”

When our lives are placed in Christ, then we share in his
life, both the good and the bad. We share in his sufferings, in his death, in
his righteousness and in his resurrection. As God’s children, we are co-heirs
with Christ, sharing in who he is and what he has done. We are united with him
— forever in glory!

Things to think about

If there is no condemnation for believers (verse 1), should
we ever have feelings of guilt? Why?

In what way does the Spirit “control” our minds? (verse 6)

How do we get the ability to put our misdeeds to death? (verse
13)

When we call God “Father,” do we feel fear, duty, or
privilege? (verse 16).

2014

Email this page

Thank you for your interest in sharing materials from Grace Communion International.

NOTE: We request your email address only so that your friend knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not keep these email addresses, and we will not send unsolicited materials to either you or your friend.

Your Email: *

Your Name: *

Send To: *

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.

Message Subject:
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Grace Communion International

Message Body:
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Grace Communion International web site.

Thank you for your interest in sharing materials from Grace Communion International.

NOTE: We request your email address only so that your friend knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not keep these email addresses, and we will not send unsolicited materials to either you or your friend.

Your Email: *

Your Name: *

Send To: *

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.

Message Subject:
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Grace Communion International

Message Body:
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Grace Communion International web site.